Label: Metal Blade Records
Date: May 21st, 2021
After a 5-year break, the cult metal compilation of Metal Blade Records got its 15th sequel. Although metal compilations seem to have lost the significance they had during the 80’s and 90’s (due to streaming, playlists, etc.), it suits me personally listening to a compilation when I have a desire to discover a new band. There are 10 bands on Metal Massacre XV, most of which do not have any bigger discographic activity behind them so far. The compilation is diverse and covers various metal sub-genres: black, heavy, speed, doom, death…
The honor to open the compilation went to the most experienced band on the compilation, the band Midnight. It’s the one-man band Midnight coming from USA and plays blackened speed metal. Straight in face riffs, dirty sound, fuck-off attitude, Motorhead, Darkthrone…this is what this band offers us in their 3-minute “Mask and Deadly”. The perfect start to the compilation. They are followed by Poison Ruïn, one of the most interesting bands on the compilation. Can you imagine the band Manowar playing punk? That’s exactly how Poison Ruïn sounds. A very interesting band, which I will definitely have to pay attention to in the future. Fuming Mouth raises the temperature with its brutal death metal enriched with crust elements. After rapid heating, a sudden cooling follows. Many suffer transports us to gloomy and cold expanses with their icy black metal riffs. At the same, colder, slower pace, they continue the Temple of Void – another band that caught my attention with its mix of death, doom, gothic metal enriched with elements of space rock. The temperature is raised again by Ripped to Shreds death metal band from the USA with members originating from Taipei. In the same, beating tempo, the band Rude continues, with their death metal sound irresistibly reminiscent of Morbid Angel. In the introduction to the song “Starblind”, Midnight Dice reminds us of the early works of Iron Maiden (“Murders in the Rue Morgue” runs through my head), but in the continuation of the song, the band “pulls” more towards the band Doro. Another band that caught my attention is Smoulder. These Canadians, led by girl Sarah Ann, present their vision of epic/doom metal inspired by the bands Candlemass and Black Sabbath. The compilation closes with Mother of Graves with their “In Somber Dreams” which reminds us of the work of the band Paradise Lost.
All in all, Metal Massacre XV is a very good compilation that should be given a chance. Whether any of the bands from this compilation will reach the fame of Metallica, Slayer, no one can say for sure. Time shall tell.
